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​ATCO has today submitted its five-year plan for the Mid-West and South-West Gas Distribution Systems to the Economic Regulation Authority of Western Australia (ERA). The plan covers the period of 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2024.

It details our network management strategy and proposed prices to ensure the continued safe, reliable and affordable delivery of gas to customers, as well as our proposed investment strategy to provide energy choice to new customers and prepare us for a cleaner energy future. Currently, we provide natural gas to more than 750,000 customer connection points and manage over 14,000 kilometres of pipelines – enough to stretch from Perth to Paris.

President of ATCO’s Gas Division in Australia, Stevan Green, said a significant amount of consultation and analysis went into the 2020-24 Plan to ensure that necessary ongoing investment in the network is balanced with customer and stakeholder expectations in keeping gas an affordable energy choice.

“In developing our 2020-24 Plan, we consulted extensively with customers, businesses and industry. They consistently told us that they want access to a safe, reliable gas network at an affordable price. Benchmarked against our peers ATCO is one of the most efficient gas distribution operators in Australia, something we are determined to maintain. We have worked particularly hard to deliver programs and pricing in the 2020-24 Plan that will continue to deliver long term benefits to customers that also meet our safety and regulatory obligations,” Mr Green said.

Proposed distribution charges in the 2020-24 Plan are consistent with 2017 levels and will continue to accounting for approximately 30% of a typical residential gas bill. The average annual increase in our gas distribution charge is $14 more than the current period, or an average of $1.17 per month over the five years.

“ATCO’s charges account for approximately one third of a typical gas bill. We know that affordability is important to our customers, but so is safety and reliability of service. That’s why we have worked hard to keep costs down whilst ensuring that vital safety and maintenance works can continue right across our network,” Mr Green said.

Over the next five year period we anticipate approximately 80,000 new customers will join the network across Perth and the south-west requiring the installation of new pipelines and meters in addition to replacing end of life assets where needed to maintain reliability. We have also responded to customer feedback on initiatives that can help bring about a lower carbon future, identifying programmes in the 2020-24 period that will further that outcome through the ongoing efficient use of the gas network.

“Our customers are already benefiting from the lower carbon footprint and cost benefits that natural gas delivers. Natural gas will continue to play a critical role as we continue to invest in emerging technologies and work to transition the network to a cleaner energy future. In putting our 2020-24 Plan together, we have planned for the upcoming five-year period, but we think much longer term. I’m very confident that our 2020-24 Plan will ensure our network offers customers clear benefits today, but also long into the future,” said Mr Green.

ATCO is a diversified global corporation delivering service excellence and innovative business solutions in Structures & Logistics, Electricity, Pipelines & Liquids, and Retail Energy. More information about ATCO can be found on www.ATCO.com.